Senja as a day trip from Tromsø

Senja is the second largest island in Norway, and Visit Tromsø calls it “Norway in miniature”. Its outer coast has steep mountains that drop straight into the sea, small fishing villages and a scenic route with viewpoints. From Tromsø it is a long day: 2 to 4 hours by car each way, depending on the route. That makes Senja a trip for February and March, when the days are long enough to see it.

Two ways to drive there

The route with the ferry crosses Kvaløya to Brensholmen, about 1 hour and 15 minutes from Tromsø. The ferry to Botnhamn on Senja runs all year and takes about 35 to 45 minutes. You cannot reserve a place or buy a ticket in advance, and the ferry is small, so not every vehicle fits on the first departure. Check the timetable on svipper.no and plan a buffer.

The route without a ferry follows Fv862 and the E8 and crosses to the island on the Gisundbrua bridge. It takes longer but does not depend on a departure time.

Without a car, the express boat from Tromsø to Finnsnes takes 1 hour and 20 minutes, with two to four departures a day. It does not carry cars. Arrive at least 20 minutes before departure with a ticket for that sailing.

The scenic route

The National Tourist Route Senja runs 102 kilometres between Botnhamn and Gryllefjord. Two of its stops are the reason many people come:

• Bergsbotn is the first place on road 862 where you see the open sea again. A viewing platform 44 metres long looks out over the Bergsfjord, and it is wheelchair accessible.
• Tungeneset lies on the tip of the headland between the Steinsfjord and the Ersfjord. A wooden walkway leads out over the rocks, with a view of the sea and the row of peaks called Okshornan.

Short detours lead to the fishing villages of Husøy and Mefjordvær. The ferry from Gryllefjord to Andenes only runs in summer, so in winter you return the way you came.

Guided day trips

Most visitors without a car join a guided trip. FRAMTours runs an eleven-hour day in a minibus with up to 15 guests, lunch and a guide who also takes photos. NorWonder takes groups of 6 to 15 for about nine hours, with a fjord ferry crossing and high-resolution photos, without food. Both start in Tromsø, so you avoid the ferry queue and the winter roads.

When to go

From about 27 November to 15 January the sun does not rise, and a Senja trip then means many hours of driving in darkness for a few hours of twilight at the coast. In February and March there is daylight for the whole trip: on 1 March the sun is up from 07:11 to 16:43 in Tromsø. Weather can close roads at short notice in winter, so check the forecast and the road reports the evening before. Our page on driving in winter has the details.

For shorter trips on the way to Senja, see Kvaløya and Sommarøy.